MANY TEENAGERS are currently exploring the idea of being involved in the workplace. There are a lot of pros and cons that come with students working. Being able to manage school and work takes a lot of effort on the student’s part, so there is a lot one must consider before getting a job.

Cindy Sepulveda  (12) has had a lot of experience in housekeeping, the food industry, and being a sales associate at Walmart. Sepulveda didn’t expect to have any problems at Walmart; however, she faced some difficulties when it came to interacting with coworkers.

“I was kind of annoyed when my coworkers would bring problems into work,” Sepulveda said. Cindy felt unsatisfied when working at Walmart because her coworkers had made the experience unbearable. “Overall, I rate the job a four out of ten because of the coworkers,” Sepulveda said. Cindy has left her job at Walmart and is now taking a break from working full time. She has been helping her sister with housekeeping when she has the time.

“It’s hard work. In a lot of restaurants, it’s greasy. If you’re a server, you can bust your buns all night with an obnoxious and demanding table and get a 5 percent tip,” says the website Evil HR Lady.

If teenagers do choose to have a job, it seems common to pick a job in the food industry. Israel Hernandez (11) believes that working at a fast-food restaurant is a lot of fun. Israel first started working at Cafe Rio, a Mexican grill. He said he enjoyed working there because of the environment he was in. Later, Hernandez switched to working at Freddy’s Frozen Custards and Steakburgers.

“I really wanted to start working so I could feel independent,” Hernandez said. Some teenagers say they start working so they can earn money. Some students, like Israel, want to start working at a young age to develop skills such as responsibility and independence. Working as a teenager gives students an opportunity to understand how the real world works.

“Working during high school can also negatively affect students’ social lives. Students who work in high school are less likely to be involved in extracurricular activities,” says an article on The Classroom. Many people believe that having a job affects your ability to join any extracurricular activities, and Ahmed Mohamed (11) said that this statement is somewhat true.

Mohamed has had a job while also maintaining a spot on Granger’s football team. Two of the jobs Ahmed worked at were the grocery store Lucky’s and the restaurant Whole Life. While managing a job, school, and a sport, Mohamed was faced with many difficulties in his personal life and school life. Although he was faced with obstacles along the way, he had family and friends that helped him manage a job and school.

Overall, working as a student can be tedious and overwhelming. However, students can gain a lot of important life skills while working. Depending on the job and the environment, students can also find working a bit fun. If students have good time management skills, they can successfully work and succeed in school. Support from the people in their lives also makes it a lot easier to handle.